There are beach houses, and then there are beach houses.
I'm talking literally ON THE BEACH as if constructed to reflect the authenticity of old seaside living and then placed lovingly right on top of the sand. If this sounds exactly like what you're looking for in a sumemr hideaway, then travel just about an hour outside of Lisbon and you'll find it at Casas na Areia. Visually stunning in its simplicity at first sight, the experience just gets better from there.
We're talking sand on the floors of this contemporary structure that feels incredibly old world even with its modern amenities mixed in. Somehow, the balance is achieved and it's beautiful.
The four bungalows sit within a natural reserve in Comporta, Portugal, surrounded by rice paddies, greenery and the soft sounds of the Sado River. Years ago, this was the land of fisherman and farmers, today it maintains its simplicity that amazes travelers again and again. Each of the four houses is equipped with bedrooms and en-suite bathrooms while a communal house offers a small kitchen, sitting room and the floor...the sandy beach which, its said, is a form of forced relaxation in itself as walking on sand tends to slow one down naturally. It's a beach retreat that is most famous for all of the extras and fanfare it doesn't offer, yet somehow it's mor ethan you could ever expect.